Ending of cash payments at London Underground stations (4)

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that fare evasion has increased since the ending of cash payments at some London Underground stations. What is the estimated lost revenue to TfL as a result of this and what plans do you have to address this if cashless stations become permanent in the future?

The Mayor: While it is not possible to directly attribute fare or revenue data to the ending of cash payments, Transport for London’s (TfL) revenue remains in line with pre-coronavirus trends, with comparable revenue proportional to reduced demand as a result of the pandemic. This suggests the ending of cash payments has not had a significant impact on fare evasion and TfL’s revenue. TfL’s existing fare evasion measures remain in place.
TfL is currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders on these temporary measures and on future arrangements.

TfL network usage (3)

Gareth Bacon: Are the current levels of tube service regularity sufficient to prevent overcrowding on platforms and/or in stations? Have there been any incidences of train irregularity causing such problems, and if so, which line(s) and/or station(s) were affected?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been operating a full planned service on the Tube since June 2020, with the exception of the Waterloo & City line, which remains closed due to a current lack of demand. Passenger demand is approximately 30 to 40 per cent of pre-coronavirus levels. There have been no incidences of significant overcrowding, however it is not always possible to maintain social distancing at all times and locations on the network.
TfL and British Transport Police officers are on site on the network to help enforce social distancing and face covering requirements where possible.

Use of non-disclosure agreements by Crossrail (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: In reaching compensation settlements with companies or organisations that have been adversely affected by Crossrail construction works does Crossrail or any of its contractors ever use non-disclosure agreements as part of Settlement Agreements? If non-disclosure agreements have been used in such circumstances please state how many were made in each of the last three years. Do you support such non-disclosure agreements?

The Mayor: Crossrail is one of Europe’s biggest infrastructure projects, and while every care is taken to limit the impact of the works, like other infrastructure projects of this scale and complexity taking place in the middle of a densely populated city, there are occasions where individuals, companies or organisations are adversely impacted, and a claim is made.
The vast majority of these types of claim are handled by loss adjusters appointed by Crossrail and/or the project insurers, and are resolved without the need for a confidential settlement agreement.
In some situations, it may be appropriate for a settlement agreement to include a confidentiality clause. For example, on rare occasions when a legitimate claim is settled after litigation occurs or is threatened, a confidential settlement agreement might be appropriate to protect both parties’ confidential information and lead to a favourable result for all involved.
Compensation claims that are the subject of confidential settlement agreements occur relatively infrequently, but the precise number of confidential settlement agreements signed in the last three years is not information that is collected.
Crossrail would not be a party to settlement agreements entered into by its contractors in relation to such claims. Therefore, Crossrail is not able to comment on the use of confidential settlement agreements by its contractors.

Ending cash payments at London Underground stations (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Including children, what is TfL’s estimate of the proportion of the London Underground travelling public that do not have access to a bank account?

The Mayor: Across the UK, the number of people who are without a current or basic bank account reached an all-time low in 2017 at 1.23m* which represents approximately two per cent of the population. When Transport for London (TfL) conducted research on customers aged 16-74 using DLR ticket machines in 2018, it found that one per cent did not have access to a bank account.
TfL does not hold data for children (under 16).
*(source: Financial Inclusion Annual Monitoring Briefing Paper 2018, University of Birmingham),

Ending cash payments at London Underground stations (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: I understand that when London Underground passengers have problems with contactless cards (error code 80 on the gate) or Oyster cards (error codes 35 or 36) station staff are able to charge the customer for their journey through cash payments. As the removal of cash payments will remove this option what is the estimated lost revenue that removing cash payments from all London Underground will lead to?

The Mayor: If customers have problems using their contactless or Oyster cards at the gate, they will still have the option to use their bank card to buy a paper ticket at Transport for London’s (TfL’s) ticket machines. During the current period, where some London Underground stations have not been accepting cash, customers have also been able to use an Oyster Ticket Stop in very close proximity to TfL stations if they wish to use cash to top up their Oyster card. They can also use the Oyster app to top up.
In addition, TfL’s station staff are trained to allow vulnerable customers to complete their journeys and pay for them later in certain circumstances. Ahead of any changes being rolled out, TfL will ensure all staff are re-briefed on the circumstances in which customers are allowed to pay for their journey later, to ensure this covers situations in which being unable to use cash may be a factor.
It is not possible to directly attribute fare or revenue data to the ending of cash payments.
TfL is currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders on these temporary measures and on future arrangements.

Ending cash payments at London Underground stations (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: One justification for the removal of cash payments at London Underground stations is the existence of tickets stops. A constituent has contacted me and raises this issue: “Whilst ticket stops are great if you're caught short and need to top up quickly on the move with cash, they are not a replacement for London Underground ticket machines. Firstly the opening hours are heavily reduced. Not all ticket stops are open or opened the advertised hours. You're also not able to buy discounted tickets or top up less then £1.50 where as minimum top up is 10p on London Underground ticket machine.” Please could you respond to these specific concerns.

The Mayor: Like many other retailers, some newsagents have chosen to temporarily change their opening hours in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Anyone with an Oyster card or Oyster photocard can buy seven day and monthly Travelcards, and bus and tram passes, from all Oyster Ticket Stops at adult and discounted rates.
At Oyster Ticket Stops, when you first buy an Oyster card the minimum top up amount is £1.50 to ensure you can make at least one bus journey. Following this initial purchase, the minimum cash top up is 10p, as at a ticket machine. Like other retailers, however, Oyster Ticket Stop agents are at liberty to introduce a minimum top up amount for customers paying with bank cards.
Customers who want to top up their Oyster card quickly can do so online or using the Transport for London (TfL) Oyster app. Customers using the app can also check their balance and get notifications of when their balance is getting low, helping them plan ahead to keep their Oyster card regularly topped up.
In addition, TfL’s station staff are trained to allow vulnerable customers to complete their journeys and pay for them later in certain circumstances. Ahead of any changes being rolled out, TfL will ensure all staff are re-briefed on the circumstances in which customers are allowed to pay for their journey later, to ensure this covers situations in which being unable to use cash may be a factor.
TfL is currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders on these temporary measures and on future arrangements.

Alternate Seat Blocking on the TfL Network

Andrew Boff: Will you consider blocking alternate seats on transport across the TfL network to help maintain social distancing?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has reviewed the operation of each of its modes in line with advice from Government and Public Health England and is satisfied that appropriate measures are in place to maintain social distancing and help safeguard the health of passengers and staff. As seating arrangements vary considerably between different vehicles and rolling stock, uniformly blocking alternate seats across the TfL network wouldn’t necessarily aid social distancing. Furthermore, customers who are part of the same household or bubble can continue to sit together, so preventing this could actually reduce the space available for other customers to maintain social distancing. Therefore, TfL is not considering this measure at this time.
TfL continues to do all it can to promote safe travel and social distancing. This includes running a near-normal service, encouraging customers to travel at quiet times and on quiet routes and ensuring the network is cleaner than ever before. A range of safe travel advice is available on the TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/safer-travel-guidance

Evacuation steering group (4)

Andrew Dismore: LFB’s Consolidated GTI and HMI action plan states that “it has been determined that the evacuation steering group did not meet in February”. How was this determined?

The Mayor: This was ascertained through London Fire Brigade officers holding a discussion with National Fire Chief Council colleagues.

TfL network usage (2)

Gareth Bacon: Since the lockdown period began, have there been any incidences of tube delays which have resulted in overcrowding on platforms and/or in stations? Which line(s) and/or station(s) were affected by each incidence?

The Mayor: Since the lockdown period began there will have been occasions when a delay has occurred to the train service. This may have caused the number of people waiting on the platform to increase, and station staff would have put steps in place to prevent overcrowding. Stations are closely monitored on a continuous basis to avoid overcrowding, and customers may be asked to wait to enter a station. However, Transport for London (TfL) does not measure the level of crowding within stations as a specific metric, thus linking this to delays would not be possible.
It is not always feasible to maintain social distancing at all times and locations on the network. TfL and British Transport Police officers are on site to help enforce social distancing and face covering requirements as appropriate. TfL is also encouraging customers to travel when it is less busy, and advice on maintaining social distancing is being given across the transport network. This includes station announcements, as well as social-distancing posters on display at bus stops, stations and in shelters. Markings have also been rolled out on platforms at stations, and on pavements at priority bus stops.

Solar Generation at TfL sites (2)

Leonie Cooper: Please provide an update on the assessment made of TfL’s largest rooftops to potentially host solar photovoltaic.

The Mayor: Please see my answer to Mayor’s Question 2020/3298.

Putney High St

Leonie Cooper: When has pollution on Putney High Street exceeded the legal limits in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, in terms of NOx?

The Mayor: There are two continuous air pollution monitoring stations along Putney High Street, which are part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). These monitoring stations are:
Although the question refers to NOx, legal limits for the protection of human health are set for NO2 and results below focus on this pollutant. There are two legal limit values for NO2:
As the question refers to when the legal limit exceeded for each year, it is assumed that it refers to the hourly average limit value only.
The results show the following:
The scale of these improvements demonstrates the impact that policies introduced by the Mayor, including the central London ULEZ, cleaner buses (including a Low Emission Bus Zone along Putney High Street introduced in 2017) and taxis, and tackling construction emissions, have had. Further information on improvements in London’s air quality can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_pollution_monitoring_data_in_london_2016_to_2020_feb2020.pdf

Evacuation steering group (1)

Andrew Dismore: When do you expect the evacuation steering group to next meet, and what has been its previous meeting schedule, and what is its membership?

The Mayor: The London Fire Brigade believes this question refers to the Stay Put steering group run by The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. LFB does not sit on this group and is not aware of its schedule for future meetings.

Evacuation steering group (2)

Andrew Dismore: What involvement did LFB have in the design of the call for evidence, commissioning and related work from academics for the evacuation steering group, and when will this research be complete?

The Mayor: The London Fire Brigade believes this question refers to the Stay Put steering group run by The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. LFB does not sit on this group has not been involved in the design of the call for evidence, commissioning and related work from academics.

Transport for London (TfL) railway arch lettings (3)

Caroline Russell: What oversight procedures does Transport for London (TfL) have over external letting agents who manage some railway arches and prospective tenants?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/3313.

Transport for London (TfL) railway arch lettings (2)

Caroline Russell: Do you allow financial incentives in contracts with Transport for London (TfL) Lettings Management subcontractors or the TfL internal lettings team, and if so, how do you protect the interests of small and micro business tenants and the retention of a diversity of business types?

The Mayor: I am committed to supporting London’s small and medium businesses.
I was proud of Transport for London’s (TfL) commitment to help the hundreds of small and medium sized businesses on its estate, which make up 86 per cent of its customers, throughout the coronavirus pandemic. TfL was the first landlord to commit to full rent relief for the first three months of lockdown (April to June) and has since provided further support by reducing rent by 50 per cent between July and September. TfL’s success depends on its customers’ success, and TfL highly values a diverse offer for Londoners.
TfL utilises independent external letting agents to ensure that vacant properties are advertised as widely as possible. These external letting agents operate alongside TfL’s own internal team. Neither the internal nor the external teams have financial incentives that could incentivise detrimental behaviour.

Oyster Ticket Stop Shops

Tony Devenish: Please produce a map, mapping out the 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stop Shops to alleviate fears that you are discriminating against children and the most vulnerable socio-economic groups including those with walking difficulties, by abolishing cash in tube stations. What is the greatest distance of these shops from a tube station?

The Mayor: The location of all Transport for London’s (TfL) Oyster Ticket Stops can found on the TfL website here: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/oyster-ticket-stops.
These locations are spread across London so that customers can use them on their journey to or from London Underground stations. The average distance between the nearest Oyster Ticket Stop and the 62 stations still accepting cash (excluding Heathrow) is 180 metres.
Customers can use the TfL Oyster app to check their balance and get notifications of when their balance is getting low, helping them plan ahead to keep their Oyster card regularly topped up.
TfL is currently engaging with a wide range of stakeholders on these temporary measures and on future arrangements.

Cycle to Work Scheme

Tony Devenish: As described in the FT article “Bike retailers saddled with lower margins in state cycle scheme” and whilst welcoming the Government’s Cycle to Work Scheme, are you making representations for providers to reduce their commissions to avoid a situation where many cycle retailers struggle to make a profit on eligible bikes?

The Mayor: The Cycle to Work scheme is a central Government scheme, and as such Transport for London (TfL) is not involved in the contract between the scheme providers and retailers. That said, I am supportive of any programmes that encourage take up of cycling as a sustainable and healthy choice for Londoners. TfL and my team at City Hall have recently had conversations with the Cycle to Work Alliance about promoting the scheme, to ensure cycling is as affordable and accessible for as many Londoners as possible.

Congestion Charge (1)

Florence Eshalomi: How much money has been raised by extending the hours of the congestion charge?

The Mayor: On 23March, all road user charging schemes were temporarily suspended to enable London’s critical workers to travel around London. The Congestion Charge was reintroduced on 18 May and, in line with the conditions of the funding and financing agreement with the Department for Transport, Transport for London (TfL) brought forward proposals to widen the scope and level of the Congestion Charge. These temporary changes were introduced on 22 June.
Between 22 June and 19 September 2020 (the end of quarter 2 – TfL’s latest financial report), the temporary changes to the Congestion Charge generated about £51m.

Encouraging Diversity and LFB (3)

Andrew Dismore: Have improvements been seen in the diversity of the LFB workforce since the HMICFRS report?

The Mayor: There have been improvements in the diversity across most areas of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) workforce since the HMICFRS report, most notably with an increase in women in the operational staff group. LFB’s recruitment campaigns continue to focus on diversity since December 2019 there has been an increase in women (26 per cent) and BAME (30 per cent) firefighter apprentices in training. The table below sets out the change in the numbers and percentage of the workforce from 31 December 2019 to 30 September 2020.
Operational staff
Date
31 December 2019
30 September 2020
Women
Percentage
7.70%
8.60%
Number
370
414
BAME staff
Percentage
13.30%
13.90%
Number
638
673
Disabled staff
Percentage
5.80%
6.00%
Number
280
291
LGBT staff
Percentage
5.10%
5.30%
Number
244
257
FRS staff
Date
31 December 2019
30 September 2020
Women
Percentage
50.80%
51.60%
Number
431
452
BAME staff
Percentage
29.40%
29.00%
Number
249
254
Disabled staff
Percentage
14.00%
13.70%
Number
119
120
LGBT staff
Percentage
4.80%
5.00%
Number
41
44
Control staff
Date
31 December 2019
30 September 2020
Women
Percentage
77.10%
77.70%
Number
81
80
BAME staff
Percentage
12.40%
13.60%
Number
13
14
Disabled staff
Percentage
10.50%
9.70%
Number
11
10
LGBT staff
Percentage
6.70%
5.80%
Number
7
6

London Simulator Funding

Susan Hall: How much funding have you invested into the London Simulator and what measurable objectives has it achieved?

The Mayor: The London simulator received funding from the GLA (£318,816), EU (£110,000) and TfL (£50,000) over the period 2016/17-2019/20. Once calibrated, the simulator faithfully recreated London’s social and economic history from 1990 – 2017 on over 80 datasets, such as jobs, population, housing, public expenditure, key tax revenues, retail and business space, and anticipated potential future changes in these variables out to 2050 under different investment scenarios. Supported by both the previous and current Mayoralty, the simulator is an innovation that provided (pre-Covid) a powerful quantification and demonstration of the positive feedback loops arising from past and future transport and other investments including: Crossrail 1, the Jubilee Line Extension, the London Olympics, Crossrail 2, Northern Line Extension, investments in housing, the Sutton Tram, Bakerloo Line Extension, full fibre digital connectivity and investment in the Royal Docks. Its outputs have been used in a variety of submissions to government; notably to help lobby for a funded business case on the eastward extension of Crossrail 1, for which the Government awarded funding of £4.85m in 2019.

Pumps off the run

Andrew Dismore: For each day of the operation of the tripartite agreement with LAS, how many LFB vehicles were off the run? Please break this down by vehicle types.

The Mayor: Many London Fire Brigade vehicles will show as ‘off-the-run’ at some point during any day. This could for reasons including scheduled vehicle maintenance, a crew needing to change contaminated fire gear after returning from an incident, a crew member with an urgent domestic emergency needing to leave the station or another station needing a crew member with a particular set of skills to support them with a specialised vehicle. The data supplied has used a cut-off of appliances ‘off-the-run’ for 15 minutes or more, which excludes shorter periods from the numbers.
The table below for pumping appliances shows for each month between January and September 2020, how many pumps were ‘off the run’ at each hour of the day. The tripartite agreement with the LAS ran from 13 April to 27 September 2020. A total of 300 firefighters were provided between 13 April and mid-July, a staggered stand-down of LFB staff began mid-July, and 200 firefighters remained between mid-July to 27 September. The equivalent 2019 total figures are also shown for comparison.
Hour of the day
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
4
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
1
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
6
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
1
7
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
2
8
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
3
4
9
3
4
3
1
2
2
3
4
6
10
9
11
10
5
6
7
9
13
14
11
8
14
12
6
6
7
11
19
19
12
4
8
7
3
3
3
6
13
11
13
3
5
4
2
2
2
4
9
8
14
3
4
3
2
2
2
4
8
6
15
3
3
3
2
2
2
3
8
6
16
2
3
2
2
1
1
3
8
5
17
1
2
2
1
1
1
3
8
6
18
1
2
2
1
1
1
3
7
7
19
1
2
2
1
1
1
3
7
7
20
3
4
4
4
3
4
6
7
7
21
3
5
5
4
4
4
8
10
10
22
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
5
4
23
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
2
TOTAL
46
69
61
36
35
44
77
149
132
TOTAL 2019 for comparison
52
70
69
60
87
108
115
143
104

Specialist appliance crewing (3)

Andrew Dismore: What is LFB’s target number of operational staff trained for fire and rescue unit and command unit crewing, and what is the total number of actual staff trained?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) requires 932 qualified staff to crew its fire and rescue units. LFB currently has 732 trained staff.
LFB currently requires 96 qualified Sub Officer Specialist Command Unit staff to crew its eight Command Units (CUs) under the current crewing arrangements. LFB currently has 57 trained staff. The Brigade is moving to an integrated CU structure to increase resilience and will require 256 trained staff to crew the CUs. There are additional training courses scheduled until the end of the financial year to meet this requirement and the Brigade will move to full integration in quarter one of 2021/22.

Visitors to London (4)

Alison Moore: For contactless cards are you able to identify which cards were issued in the UK and which were not? If you can do so, please provide details of how much fares income did contactless cards of each type generate in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019? Can you breakdown the income into that which reached the daily cap and that which did not?

The Mayor: The table below gives the total value of Contactless spending on Transport for London and Train Operating Companies services for the calendar years requested. It is not possible to break this data down by whether the card was issued in the UK or whether a daily cap was applied.

Diesel air pollution (2)

Leonie Cooper: Can you provide an update on your town centre Low Emission Zone programme?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy commits to working with boroughs to deliver town centreZeroEmissionZones(ZEZs)from 2020.
In 2019, Transport for London (TfL) published guidance on delivering localZero Emission Zones,setting out suggestedapproachesandemission standards.TfL hasbeen providing support to boroughs that might be interested indelivering such zonesand the first have already been delivered – the jointHackney andIslington Low Emission Streetsschemethat wasintroducedinShoreditch in2018andthe firstzero emission streetatBeechStreetinthe City of London introduced inSpring this year. TfLisworking in partnership with the Cityon anotherZEZ as part of the EU-fundedReVeALproject whichis due tobe delivered in 2022.
I am keen to continue workingwith interested boroughs on this andotherinitiativessuch as LowEmissionNeighbourhoodsand Low Emission BusZones,as well as exploringoptions for a central London ZEZfrom 2025,tohelpsupport a green recovery for Londonfrom the coronavirus pandemic.

Specialist appliance crewing (2)

Andrew Dismore: In each month of 2020 so far, how many times has a) a fire and rescue unit and b) a command unit been off the run because of lack of trained crew?

The Mayor: Month
Days per month
Shifts per month
Total Shifts for eight Command Units (CUs)
Number of shifts a CU was “off the run”
January
31
62
496
44
February
29
58
464
34
March
31
62
496
44
April
30
60
480
42
May
31
62
496
49
June
30
60
480
57
July
31
62
496
73
August
31
62
496
87
Month
Days per month
Shifts per month
Total Shifts for fourteen Fire and Rescue Units (FRUs)
Number of shifts an FRU was “off the run”
January
31
62
868
0
February
29
58
812
0
March
31
62
868
0
April
30
60
840
0
May
31
62
868
0
June
30
60
840
0
July
31
62
868
0
August
31
62
868
3
The action that London Fire Brigade is taking to ensure that more staff are trained to meet crewing arrangements for Command Units is addressed in Mayor's Question 2020/3106.

Fire Safety Inspecting Officers (3)

Andrew Dismore: How is LFB changing its approach to the recruitment of Fire Safety Inspecting Officers in order to fill vacancies more quickly?

The Mayor: Due to ongoing skills shortages in the sector, London Fire Brigade (LFB) has sought to improve recruitment through a variety of methods which include the establishment of the Centre of Learning & Excellence (CLE). LFB’s Fire Safety team has changed the way they recruit staff by attracting staff at Fire Safety Advisor level who don’t necessarily have a history in fire safety but have other appropriate experience. The CLE then provides the necessary training to develop them into Inspecting Officers. This novel programme helps to ensure that LFB has a pool of staff that can support the risk-based inspection programme. Additionally, work is ongoing to explore opportunities to attract operational staff into specialist fire safety roles.

Bridges

Leonie Cooper: There have been designs prepared for two foot/cycling bridges to cross the river from Nine Elms in Battersea to Westminster, and from Battersea to Hammersmith & Fulham. Do either of these proposals have support from TfL as key priorities?

The Mayor: Both the proposed Cremorne bridge (from Battersea to Hammersmith & Fulham) and the bridge from Nine Elms to Westminster are borough-led projects. TfL currently has no budgetary provision for either of these projects, and I expect this to remain the case in the short to medium term. It is the responsibility of the bridge promoters to secure support, permission and funding for these schemes.
TfL’s current priority in terms of improving walking and cycling facilities across the river is between Barnes and Hammersmith where there is an urgent need to facilitate walking and cycling trips since the full closure of Hammersmith Bridge in August of this year.

Interserve and LFB

Andrew Dismore: How does the recent £7.6milliion contract announced with Interserve1 represent good value for money to LFB?

1This week in FM ‘£7.6m London Fire Brigade contract awarded to Interserve’ [Date accessed 17.09.20]

The Mayor: Interserve were awarded a three-year contract under a Crown Commercial Service collaborative framework through a competition between nine pre-approved contractors. The contract price is within the current budget and brings together four previously separate contracts for security, cleaning, grounds maintenance and pest control into one which enables a more efficient service. The contract provides an increased focus on the quality of the service and streamlined delivery of ‘soft services’ which are of increased importance during the current pandemic.
The evaluation process ensured the contract was awarded to the most economically advantageous tender based on a quality/price ratio of 60:40 respectively. Interserve scored 58.98/60 for quality and submitted the lowest price out of all bids. The contract Key Performance Indicators are financially based to ensure future monthly payments are commensurate with the quality and value of service delivered.

Air Quality at Clapham Junction

Leonie Cooper: Could you give the latest figures in terms of NOx and particulate matter at Clapham Junction, comparing January 2017 with January 2020?

The Mayor: There is one continuous air pollution monitoring station near Clapham Junction, which is part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). This monitoring station is called Lavender Hill (Clapham Jct) WAC. It is a roadside site measuring NOx, NO2 and PM10.
Monthly average concentrations observed at the site were as follows:
Note that caution should be observed when comparing monthly averages due to fluctuations in weather or other temporary events that may influence results, which is why limit values and trend analysis are typically based on annual averages rather than monthly averages.
The scale of these improvements demonstrates the impact that policies introduced by the Mayor, including the central London ULEZ, cleaner buses and taxis and tackling construction emissions, have had. Further information on improvements in London’s air quality can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_pollution_monitoring_data_in_london_2016_to_2020_feb2020.pdf

Air Quality on Tooting High St

Leonie Cooper: Could you give the latest figures in terms of NOx and particulate matter on Tooting High St, comparing January 2017 with January 2020?

The Mayor: There is one continuous air pollution monitoring station along Tooting High Street, which is part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). This monitoring station is called Tooting High Street WAB. It is a roadside site measuring NOx, NO2 and PM10.
Monthly average concentrations observed at the site were as follows:
Note that caution should be observed when comparing monthly averages due to fluctuations in weather or other temporary events that may influence results, which is why limit values and trend analysis are typically based on annual averages rather than monthly averages.
The scale of these improvements demonstrates the impact that policies introduced by the Mayor, including the central London ULEZ, cleaner buses and taxis, and tackling construction emissions, have had. Further information on improvements in London’s air quality can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_pollution_monitoring_data_in_london_2016_to_2020_feb2020.pdf

King’s ICU fire safety concerns (2)

Andrew Dismore: When was the remedial work on the dangerous external wall panelling at King’s College NHS ICU completed?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has requested the completion date for remedial fire safety work at King’s College ICU. That work is still ongoing, and a completion date is not yet available.

Cash on TfL

Shaun Bailey: What information do you hold regarding cash transactions on the TfL network for 2019-20 and can this be provided? E.g. number of transactions, amount transacted, or any details of passenger demographics who pay using cash.

The Mayor: Since the coronavirus pandemic, cash transactions across London Underground have decreased by approximately 83 per cent, from an average of 75,000 per day in 2019 to an average of 12,500 per day between 19 July and 15 September 2020, accounting for approximately 1.25 per cent of total journeys made on the London Underground.
From research conducted on customers using DLR ticket machines in 2018, Transport for London found that one per cent did not have access to a bank account and that customers aged 50+ and customers who were from outside of the UK were more likely to prefer cash facilities than other customer demographics.

Visitors to London (1)

Alison Moore: How many unique visitor oyster cards were used in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019?

The Mayor: See my answer to Mayor's Question 2020/3516 for the total number of Visitor Oyster cards issued to Transport for London’s trade partners for the requested years. These partners then sell the cards, meaning that TfL does not hold any data on their individual sales.

Encouraging Diversity and LFB (2)

Andrew Dismore: Following the HMICFRS report of 2018/19 what have been identified as being the barriers to LFB having a more diverse workforce? How are these barriers being addressed?

The Mayor: Following the HMICFRS report London Fire Brigade (LFB) commissioned an external ‘culture audit’ to establish staff experiences and perceptions. In addition, a comprehensive programme of staff engagement took place to inform the development and launch of the new LFB Inclusion Strategy, the ‘Togetherness Strategy’.Significant work has since taken place in order to address identified barriers, including a new behavioural framework, undertaking an equality impact assessment on firefighter assessment processes and training recruiting managers on diversity and inclusion issues.
LFB has also developed a Togetherness Board which is directly accountable for the delivery and success of the Togetherness Strategy. LFB has invited applications for three external community members to sit on this Board, to ensure that London’s diverse communities are represented and able to hold the Brigade to account. A Togetherness Representative Committee has also been established, which will include trade unions and equality staff networks, and will monitor LFB’s progress.

Visitors to London (3)

Alison Moore: For contactless cards are you able to identify which cards were issued in the UK and which were not? If you can do so, please provide details of how many unique contactless cards of each type were used in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) holds some information about use of contactless cards, which is provided in the accompanying spreadsheet. TfL does not hold data on the number of unique cards used per year, but the spreadsheet demonstrates how the number of people using contactless has evolved over time.
TfL does not have the ability to break this usage data down according to whether cards were issued in the UK or abroad, however, of the 81.3m contactless cards ever used on its network, 9.7m were not issued in the UK.

Visitors to London (2)

Alison Moore: How much fares income did visitor oyster cards generate in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019? Can you breakdown the income into that which reached the daily cap and that which did not?

The Mayor: The table in the accompanying spreadsheet shows the number of Visitor Oyster cards sold to TfL’s trade partners (who sell Visitor Oyster cards on its behalf) and the total Pay As You Go credit on all those cards at that time.
Once Visitor cards are being used by customers, it is not possible to separately identify them from other Oyster cards. This means it is not possible to quantify the amount of additional Pay As You Go credit nor the number of daily caps applied.

Fire Safety Inspecting Officers (2)

Andrew Dismore: What are the challenges to recruiting Fire Safety Inspecting Officers?

The Mayor: There continues to be significant demand from both public and private sector for staff with technical fire safety skills which drives up the market rate and makes retention of experienced, in-demand staff, challenging. Market pressures are not expected to ease for some years. While Covid-19 has also created obstacles, recruitment has continued and numbers of Fire Safety Advisors are increasing. London Fire Brigade’s Fire Safety department has had some difficulty recruiting operational officers from fire stations into fire safety and is working closely with the Fire Brigades Union to develop a pathway into specialist fire safety roles.

Covid Marshals

Unmesh Desai: How much money has London been allocated for the introduction of ‘Covid Marshals’ from the Government’s £60m for enforcement measures?

The Mayor: The Government announced the allocations of the £60m of funding for COVID marshalls in England on 8 October. Of this £30m is being paid to local policing bodies and £30m to local authorities.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-enforcement-boosted-with-60-million-surge-funding
The 32 London boroughs and the City of London have been allocated £5.3m from the £30m local government element and the MPS and City of London police have been allocated £7.1m from the policing element.
The allocations by authority are set out in the table overleaf.

Noise camera technology

Caroline Pidgeon: Does TfL have any plans to implement noise camera technology on sections of TfL controlled roads where noise complaints from traffic are a regular occurrence?

The Mayor: My Transport Strategy sets out how TfL, working with the boroughs, will reduce the number of Londoners exposed to excessive noise from road transport. This includes reducing motor traffic volumes by encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport and supporting the uptake of low and zero emission vehicles.
Under regulations, complaints about noise would go to the relevant local authority. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is currently conducting a trial of acoustic cameras to tackle noisy vehicles. TfL officers have engaged with the borough to understand more about the trial and the technology being used but does not have any plans for implementing noise camera technology at the moment.

Step free access at London Underground stations

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide an update on the specific dates, by month, that London Underground stations will become step free during (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.

The Mayor: In early October Transport for London (TfL) completed work on installing a lift at the northern terminus of the Piccadilly line, making Cockfosters the 80th Tube station to become step-free.
The next phase of the London Underground Accessibility Programme will see a further seven Tube stations made step-free: Amersham, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Debden, Ickenham, Osterley, Sudbury Hill and Wimbledon Park. Amersham is scheduled to be the next station to become step-free, with engineers currently installing the lifts into the completed shafts. Stations which were due to be completed this year have been affected by the 12-week safe stop of construction work during the lockdown period. TfL is doing everything possible to complete the works, and new completion dates will be shared with stakeholders once they are confirmed.
Further updates on the progress of step-free access work will be shared with the London Assembly as soon as they are available.

London bridges and tunnels

Caroline Pidgeon: Are you content with the overall inspection, monitoring, collection of information and long-term investment plans for all of the bridges and tunnels that cross the Thames in the Greater London Authority area? Is sufficient information about the state of all these crossings being published and made accessible to the public?

The Mayor: All highway structures on the Transport for London Road Network are subject to routine inspections in accordance with best practice.Separately, the boroughs carry out their own inspections on the structures for which they are responsible. Transport for London (TfL) works closely with the boroughs through the London Bridges Engineering group, where knowledge and information is shared.
The TfL structural inspections that include tunnels and bridges are in line with national standards. All information is collected and stored within an Asset Management database.
The TfL inspection regime is detailed in the attached table. Some structures will receive more frequent or detailed inspections depending on their condition.
TfL’s long-term investment plans are based on the latest inspection, cost and asset deterioration data, which has been developed by TfL and London Boroughs over many years. Plans are reviewed and updated when new information becomes available. I am content that TfL’s long-term plans are robust and provide a realistic view of the investment required over the next 25 years, and these form part of TfL’s latest Long-Term Capital Plan. My immediate concern, due to the financial crisis coronavirus has created for TfL, is whether the Government will provide the essential funding we are requesting to progress works on TfL owned bridges and tunnels in the next few years, including Rotherhithe Tunnel, Vauxhall Bridge, the A40 Westway, Gallows Corner and Brent Cross. I am of course also doing all I can, via my Deputy Mayor’s involvement in the Government led Taskforce, to ensure that appropriate funding is made available to ensure urgent repairs to Hammersmith Bridge (owned by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham).

606 bus

Andrew Dismore: I understand that buses on the 606 bus route used to be able to transport up to 240 children, but has now dropped down to 60. On Monday 7th September there was only one bus after school, when there should be two and the children were told that if they had an EN5 postcode they could not use the service.
After school on the 8th September, a large group of year 7 children, had to walk back up to High Barnet on the extremely narrow and dangerous pavements on Barnet Lane with the assistance of some older children who tried to help them get home without any mishaps. A number of parents have started picking children up at the school gates, which creates problems.
When I raised this with TfL, I was told that a monitoring team had visited and there were no issues, but it turns out that most parents are driving their children. Will you please ensure there is enough capacity on this school bus route, and that it is communicated to parents?

The Mayor: Route 606 runs between Queensbury and Totteridge Academy via Edgware and High Barnet serving schools including Totteridge Academy, where it stops at the bus stand outside the building entrance.
Totteridge Academy is also served by route 605, which serves Totteridge War Memorial and provides links to Mill Hill, Burnt Oak and Edgware, supplementing route 251. Route 605 cannot stop any closer to the school as the southern half of Barnet Lane is unsuitable for buses.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing requirements mean reduced capacities of 60 schoolchildren per double-deck bus on school services, including routes 605 and 606. Non-school services currently have reduced capacities of 30 customers per double deck bus.
Route 606 previously had two return journeys. However, following a review of loadings against social distancing capacity, an additional third afternoon journey was added on 28 September after a spare vehicle was identified by Metroline. Overall, these services now provide capacity for 180 schoolchildren, which Transport for London surveys indicate is sufficient for demand. In addition, route 384 has been extended to Edgware, providing three buses per hour throughout the day, linking schools in the High Barnet area to Apex Corner and Edgware in addition to route 606.

Solar Generation at TfL sites (3)

Leonie Cooper: How many installations have been made to TfL property using the Retrofit Accelerator programme?

The Mayor: TfL has received substantial support from the Retrofit Accelerator – Workplaces programme since 2017 to scope retrofit projects and appoint a delivery contractor. However, no solar PV installs have been completed by Transport for London (TfL) via the GLA’s Retrofit Accelerator Programme.
This is because budget for TfL’s project to install solar PV on its rooftops delivered via the Retrofit Accelerator Programme was reprioritised to other areas due to financial pressures caused by loss of fare revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Before this, and under the Accelerator programme, TfL completed extensive design work and had anticipated delivery of solar PV at two sites this financial year, including the London Trams depot in Croydon.
TfL is seeking alternative funding and delivery models to facilitate delivery of solar PV. As described in my response to MQ 2020/3298, it will be issuing a market sounding questionnaire this financial year to gauge the appetite for third party investment in solar PV.

Transparency on the cost of Silvertown Road Tunnel (1)

Caroline Russell: The true cost of the Silvertown Road Tunnel has been revealed as at least £2 billion. This cost was only possible to calculate due to a small note in the Transport for London (TfL) accounts revealing a £65 million annual cost from 2025 over 25 years. Are you satisfied that this is a clear and transparent way to inform Londoners of the true cost of major infrastructure?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/3249, where I have explained the true cost of the Silvertown Tunnel project. I am satisfied this explanation is clear, transparent and in line with how Transport for London (TfL) informs Londoners about the cost of its infrastructure projects. This information has been regularly shared by TfL through the scheme’s development, including as part of the public Development Consent Order documents and TfL’s regular reporting on its investment programme.

Culture at Risk Fund Recipients

Leonie Cooper: The London.Gov website helpfully displays a list of organisations awarded funding by the Culture at Risk Fund https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/full_list_of_culture_at_risk_resilience_funding_september_2020.pdf.
Would it be possible to get this information with the level of funding each organisation received and with the location (by borough) of each organisation?

The Mayor: My £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund is providing emergency assistance to sustain cultural and creative venues most at risk of falling into administration due to COVID-19, many of whom are unable to benefit from Government schemes and Arts Council England funding.
To date, £1.9 million has been distributed in grants to 122 grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues, independent cinemas and artist workspaces across London. The fund is also providing access to advice and guidance a further 127 so far for venues who have been badly impacted by COVID-19. Additional specialist business support continues to be provided to creative businesses through my Culture at Risk Office and the London Business Hub.
The full list of organisations, value and location has been published on the london.gov.uk website at the following link - https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/culture_at_risk_awardees.pdf

Fines For Not Wearing a Face Mask

David Kurten: How many fines, and how much in fines have been handed out to travellers on the London Underground for not wearing a face mask.

The Mayor: The overwhelming majority of Londoners are doing the right thing and protecting others by wearing a face covering. Transport for London (TfL), together with its policing partners, is working hard to ensure compliance with face covering regulations and provide a safe transport network for its staff and customers.
The police and TfL enforcement officers are deployed to priority locations across the transport network to encourage compliance, refusing entry to the network and asking people to leave if they are not wearing a face covering and are not exempt from the requirement to do so.
For the small majority that do not comply, TfL enforcement and British Transport Police (BTP) work to improve compliance and take enforcement action. The BTP is undertaking on-train patrols on the London Underground (LU) network, focussing on face covering compliance, targeting key areas where compliance is lower.
The BTP only reports force-wide data so the figures below reflect enforcement on both the LU network and rail services operated by train operating companies across the country. Since the introduction of face covering regulations (up to 22 October), the BTP has directed 63,183passengers to wear or obtain face coverings on rail services and directed 4,275 passengers to leave rail services for non-compliance. Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) are issued as a last resort, with the emphasis being on achieving compliance. The BTP have issued 122 FPNs for non-compliance of face covering regulations on LU and the national rail network.
Compliance and enforcement activity is being further increased with the rollout of TfL Transport Support and Enforcement Officers. Their activities are primarily targeted on surface transport, while the BTP focuses on LU. TfL cumulative numbers across all modes (to 28 Oct) are: 115,447 people stopped, 8,292 people prevented from boarding, 1,882 ejected and (up to 23 October) 532 people have been issued with FPNs. Of these, 143 passengers have been reported for a FPN on London Underground since the enforcement teams were first deployed on LU in early September.

Fire Risks in Schools (1)

Navin Shah: According to new research by Zurich Municipal, schools in England pose a significantly higher risk of fire than other types of commercial buildings. Does London Fire Brigade have any audit of fire safety of schools in London and what strategy they have for regularly monitoring fire safety and advising schools in this respect?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) officers have worked collaboratively with Zurich Municipal and contributed to the ‘Zurich School Sprinklers Parliamentary Roundtable Report’ through attendance at meetings and ongoing engagement. LFB continues to work with schools on fire safety and prevention and has a dedicated Automatic Fire Suppression System (AFSS) officer who can provide expert advice and support to schools with regards to sprinklers and suppression systems. LFB has also recently published guidance called Safely Reopening Schools which covers a range of fire safety issues in schools including fire risk assessments, emergency evacuation and drills, fire safety systems and risks that may have increased or changed due to the impact of Covid-19.

Crossrail Compensation

Shaun Bailey: Has TFL been forced to pay compensation to businesses due to the fact Crossrail has been delayed? If so, how much and to which businesses?

The Mayor: No businesses have received compensation solely as a result of Crossrail delays. However, Transport for London is obliged to pay land compensation when occupied land is required for an extended period because of a delay in works. Payment will be on a statutory basis, in accordance with the Compensation Code and will usually reflect the duration of delay and extended occupation.

Cashless London Underground

Navin Shah: I understand that a number of London Underground stations have become temporarily cashless, with other stations being considered to become cashless. Have you considered the impact on those on lower incomes and young people who do not have bank accounts? Can you assure us that this is just a ‘temporary’ arrangement?

The Mayor: Since May 2020, Transport for London (TfL) has temporarily operated nearly 200 of its stations (approximately 70 per cent) as cashless as part of a number of coronavirus measures introduced during the pandemic. It is now considering temporarily extending the removal of cash payments to the remaining 62 stations.
Customers including children who wish to pay by cash for their top ups/tickets can do so at their local Oyster Ticket Stop, of which there are nearly 4,000 across London in close proximity to London Underground stations. TfL is engaging with organisations that represent young people and customers on low incomes to better understand the potential impact that this change might have on these groups along with a number of other groups and stakeholders representing the needs of Londoners. The outcome of this engagement will form part of its Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) for the change and will inform how the change may be implemented.

Oakley Street (1)

Tony Devenish: Could you arrange for TfL officers to meet with Kensington & Chelsea Officers at Oakley Street as soon as possible to find ways to reduce rat running and gridlock, as well as the significant levels of pollution that they cause?

The Mayor: Transport for London officers work closely with Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea officers, and are happy to discuss any matters they wish to raise.

Operational discretion training (1)

Andrew Dismore: Has London Fire Brigade completed operational discretion training for level 1 and 2 officers? If not, when will it do so?

The Mayor: Operational discretion is a cornerstone of the redesigned, nationally accredited incident command Level 1 (L1) training courses. Initial training began rolling out in September 2020. Following this roll out, work will start on designing the training for the nationally accredited Level 2 (L2) courses, in which operational discretion will be a key feature.
In the meantime, the revised operational discretion policy will have a computer-based training package for all operational personnel to complete, as well as input on the revised one day L1 maintenance of skills course. This L1 course piloted in October and will run over the normal two-year cycle split with revalidation. All level 2 and 3 commanders will receive operational discretion training during quarterly maintenance of skills training by the in-house incident command development team from quarter 3 this financial year.

City Hall Independent Audit Committee of LFB

Andrew Dismore: What is the membership of this committee, has it met yet, and will its papers be published?

The Mayor: TheLondon Fire Commissioner has recruited four independent members for the Audit Committee and the details of the members, and the comprehensive selection process are published in a report on London Fire Brigade’s website. It is planned that the first meeting of the Audit Committee will take place in December. The Terms of Reference and reporting arrangements are still to be finalised, but it is proposed that the Committee will produce an annual report which will be published.

Noise Pollution from Speeding Vehicles Across London (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Local authorities and police in Paris have recently introduced sound detectors across many parts of the City which detect unacceptable levels of noise from road traffic and are able to detect their origin, which then leads to fines for those who cause excessive disturbance. Have you given any such consideration to the benefits of similar technology in London? If not is this something you would consider looking into?

The Mayor: The external noise emitted by passenger vehicles is controlled under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. All vehicles are required to meet strict noise limits before they are permitted to enter into service, and it is illegal to modify the exhaust system of a vehicle to make it noisier than that permitted for the vehicle type.
The responsibility for this type of enforcement lies with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the police. They carry out spot checks and intelligence-led enforcement to address the issue.
My Transport Strategy sets out how Transport for London and boroughs will reduce the number of Londoners exposed to excessive noise from road traffic. This includes reducing traffic volumes by encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport, supporting the uptake of low and zero emission vehicles, and reducing speeds. My London Streetspace Plan, which is delivering more space for people walking, cycling and using public transport, will further contribute to noise reduction
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are currently not looking at investing in this technology, though the MPS is constantly looking to develop and improve it’s policing through technology.
Please also see my response to Mayor’s Question 2020/2598.

Air Quality on Putney High St

Leonie Cooper: Could you give the latest figures in terms of NOx and particulate matter on Putney High St, comparing January 2017 with January 2020?

The Mayor: There are two continuous air pollution monitoring stations along Putney High Street, which are part of the London Air Quality Network (LAQN). These monitoring stations are:
Monthly average concentrations observed at these sites were as follows:
Note that caution should be observed when comparing monthly averages due to fluctuations in weather or other temporary events that may influence results, which is why limit values and trend analysis are typically based on annual averages rather than monthly averages.
The scale of these improvements demonstrates the impact that policies introduced by the Mayor, including the central London ULEZ, cleaner buses (including a Low Emission Bus Zone along Putney High Street introduced in 2017) and taxis, and tackling construction emissions, have had. Further information on improvements in London’s air quality can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/air_pollution_monitoring_data_in_london_2016_to_2020_feb2020.pdf

Reports of Covid-19 Outbreak at Cricklewood Depot

Keith Prince: I have become aware of a letter that London Bus Drivers have sent to ComfortDelGro Management in London and Singapore about a reported Covid-19 Outbreak at Metroline’s Cricklewood Depot (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/09/29/drlo-s29.html). Has there been an outbreak? What specific onsite investigations and actions is TfL taking to ensure that Metroline's Bus Workers are protected?

The Mayor: While Transport for London (TfL) is aware of a confirmed positive case of coronavirus at Metroline’s Cricklewood depot in August, as of 13 October 2020 it had not been informed of any confirmed cases since then. Nevertheless, any unconfirmed reports are of course still of concern.
The operator has well-practised internal processes to manage employees who suspect they may have early signs of the illness. This includes fogging workplaces with anti-viral cleaning agents on a planned and precautionary basis.
Metroline has introduced measures to ensure a COVID-secure workplace in accordance with Government guidance, including using the NHS track and trace system to identify colleagues who might have come into contact or shared the same area as staff showing potential symptoms. Union representatives are also advised of any instances so that they can advise their members and help reinforce social distancing measures in depots.
More generally, employees who are in vulnerable and shielded groups continue to be on furlough or sick leave to protect them from the risk of infection at work. If drivers have coronavirus symptoms, they receive full sick pay so there is no incentive to come into work. Vehicles continue to have enhanced cleaning with anti-viral agents, and drivers are working in self-contained cabs to keep them isolated from passengers.

Recruitment of LFB staff

Andrew Dismore: The recent LFB Budget monitoring report suggests that there is a significant overspend due to overtime as a result of vacancies not being filled. What measures have been put in place to address this and improve recruitment?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) is currently reviewing controls around operational overtime to ensure robust mechanisms are in place, with the intention of bringing spending down going forward. Presently there are vacancies atjunior officer level, from leading firefighter to station officer and LFB is running promotion rounds in sequence to address this. Work is taking place to ensure LFB’s workforce planning meets future requirements, ensuring resilience at all levels of the organisation. Robust workforce planning, linked to talent management and succession planning will ensure that LFB has the correct and appropriate skills to keep London safe. A schedule of promotional assessments for all ranks will run regularly and will be communicated to staff to help them prepare and develop.

Temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s in London

Alison Moore: According to a recent paper presented to the London Councils’ Transport and Environment Committee’s Executive Sub Committee in relation to the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s in London, ‘the latest position from TfL is that the earliest possible date they could physically implement the necessary fares and Oyster card changes for 11-15-year-olds is 4 January 2021 and 1 February 2021 for 16-17- year-olds.’ Has the Government confirmed that it agrees to this new timeline?

The Mayor: As part of Transport for London’s second funding deal reached with the Government, I am pleased to confirm that the Government’s proposals to scrap free travel have been defeated, and that concessions for children aged under 18 remain in place.

Encouraging Diversity and LFB (1)

Andrew Dismore: The 2018/19 HMICFRS report found that not all stations provided suitable privacy and facilities for women. How is this being addressed and improvements made?

The Mayor: The objective of providing facilities for female firefighters has been substantively achieved and every fire station has at least one dedicated women’s facility available. Since the HMICFRS inspection individual resting and changing rooms are now available at Paddington and Tooting Fire Stations, gender neutral showers and toilets are now available at Stratford, Sutton and Woodside Fire Stations. These works were being undertaken during the HMCIFRS inspection and have since been completed. In recognition of the ‘Privacy for All’ aspiration, London Fire Brigade’s Property Services team is now reviewing the provision of gender neutral facilities and privacy for all to create individual resting and changing rooms.

Transport for London (TfL) railway arch lettings (1)

Caroline Russell: How do you ensure that lettings of railway arches carried out on behalf of Transport for London (TfL) by sub-contractors are conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable way? Could you share any lettings policy or quality assurance documents?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is committed to publicising vacant properties to a wide audience to attract the most interest and handling offers received in a consistent, fair and transparent way.
Vacant property is listed on the TfL property website. TfL also openly markets vacant properties through independent external letting agents and popular commercial property marketing portals. TfL’s agents place boards at vacant arches to advertise how people can enquire about the property.
The agent responsible for each property is obligated to notify TfL of all offers. TfL discusses interest and offers with agents regularly. All agents that TfL works with are members of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and are required to meet industry standards in their operation at all times.
Senior managers within TfL’s Commercial property team are responsible for monitoring the performance of all external lettings agents. Complaints are very rare, but these are always investigated by an independent team within TfL.

LFB Property Transformation Update

Andrew Dismore: Please provide an update on the LFB’s Property Transformation project.

The Mayor: Property transformation at London Fire Brigade (LFB) includes the staff, processes and contracts in the department. The new model is founded on the principles of strategy, delivery and assurance and includes dedicated roles focused on the requirements of stations and operations and developing the LFB workplace. The transformation is being funded by insourcing from the current supply chain and the programme is currently on schedule with a relaunch planned for March 2021.

LFB Transformation and COVID-9

Andrew Dismore: How have budget changes due to COVID-19 impacted the LFB Transformation?

The Mayor: The GLA Group faces a forecast £493 million budget shortfall over the next two years due to the impact of Covid-19. Along with the Metropolitan Police Service, I have asked London Fire Brigade (LFB) to make the smallest percentage of savings across the GLA Group.LFB’s Transformation Delivery Plan is supporting the effective delivery of actions to address the recommendations of both the Phase 1 report and the issues raised in the HMI report. The plan has been refreshed in light of some delays caused by Covid-19 but LFB continues to be committed to delivering every action in the plan. The appointment of the Director for Transformation has brought renewed focus on the transformation of the Brigade and work is underway on leading the long term, systemic transformation of the organisation.
The deadline for the Commissioner to respond to my budget guidance is 30 November.